York Suburban seeks community input on budget

The community is invited to give input on York Suburban's upcoming budget at a meeting in January.

York Suburban is facing an $840,000 deficit if it raises taxes to its state-imposed property tax cap of 1.7 percent, based on preliminary estimates, according to the district.

With no tax increase, the deficit would be about $1.5 million.

The school board has yet to decide whether it wants to keep the 2013-14 property tax increase at or below 1.7 percent, or consider going above that to help reduce the deficit.

A 1.7 percent tax hike would increase the mill rate to 21.06, about a $52 increase for a $150,000 homeowner. The district also could decide to find cost reductions to help reduce a tax increase.

In the meantime, Superintendent Kate Orban said the district wants residents to give their comments and suggestions and hear a presentation on the budget at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at the high school.

Orban said a decision on whether to stay under the tax cap is set for the school board's Monday, Jan. 28, meeting, giving board members time to consider the feedback from the community meeting.

Documents about the budget are available on the district website under the school board section.

York Suburban has raised taxes to its cap limit each of the last two years, hiking the tax rate by 1.4 percent for the 2011-12 school year and 1.7 percent for this year.

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